2/5/2015 - Ksla News 12 Investigation: Elio Could Face Fines With Further Production Delays

[JEBar]

People are lazy. If you have ever seen someone cruising a parking lot for 10 minutes to avoid a 1 minute walk, you'd know that! Only a dedicated few will drive 200 miles or more to pick up a car and bring it home again. Elio is supposed to be a car for the masses, and traveling any substantial distance to pick up a car is just not something most people will do.

I know that for me, there are some things I'm willing to travel to get .... we drove well over 300 miles to pick up our Sportchassis .... we drove well over 200 miles just to see and sit in the P4, from all reports that's pretty common .... I have no way of knowing how many folks in Ohio who want an Elio will not buy due to having to go out of state to do so .... right now, if they want an Elio type vehicle, they have no other option

 

[goofyone]

....
In short, Ohio's laws really are a challenge to Elio. The potential market in the state is very large, and losing most of it would be a hefty blow. If Elio starts getting very popular and gas hits $4.00 a gallon or higher, which it will do, probably within a year or so (gotta love that crystal ball), Elio will have much more leverage than they do now. But right now, for Ohio residents, its's gotta be Plan K or Plan S ... neither of which is ideal for mass sales. (For the sleepy ones, K is Kentucky, S is Shreveport).

You forgot vehicle delivery as that is how Tesla gets around this issue in several states. Short of banning the registration of the vehicle all together there is nothing the state can do to stop EM from conducting the sale online and/or via phone/fax from another state then the customer electing to have their new vehicle delivered in Ohio.

As I wrote in another post when it is time to open retail centers if I were EM I would offer to include vehicle delivery in the destination charge for states such as Ohio where the laws appear to preclude retail stores. This helps give EM even more leverage as not only will the vehicles be seen running around the state but the fact that anyone will be able to buy one online and have it delivered simply serves to highlight just how out of touch the current laws are. It is also much harder for lawmakers to stand against an inexpensive and ultra fuel efficient vehicle for the masses than it is for them to work against Tesla which is seen by most people a car for the 1%.